International Coffee Day 29 September

International Coffee Day 29 September

The 29th of September is International Coffee Day!

Coffee in the morning; coffee and a catch up with old friends; going for coffee with your new hot date – we drink coffee morning, day and night with friends, colleagues and loved ones. You have only to walk into the nearest coffee shop to note the extent of our love affair with our favourite caffeinated beverage.
Whether you favour espresso, flat, white, lattes or cappuccinos; iced, decaf, instant or filter – Coffee Day is the day to savour and appreciate your beverage, and maybe even pick one up for free at Dulce Cafés

Coffee Day also marks the long history of the drink…

The global spread of coffee growing and drinking began in the Horn of Africa, where, according to legend, coffee trees originated in the Ethiopian province of Kaffa. It is recorded that the fruit of the plant, known as coffee cherries, was eaten by slaves taken from present day Sudan into Yemen and Arabia through the great port of its day, Mocha. Coffee was certainly being cultivated in Yemen by the 15th century and probably much earlier. In an attempt to prevent its cultivation elsewhere, the Arabs imposed a ban on the export of fertile coffee beans, a restriction that was eventually circumvented in 1616 by the Dutch, who brought live coffee plants back to the Netherlands to be grown in greenhouses. As you can see, this little bean has a rich history!

The beans are actually the pits found in the coffee berry or cherry. The story goes that a 9th century goat herder noticed their stimulating effects on his goats and began experimenting!

Interestingly enough, the first European coffeehouse opened in Venice in 1683, with the most famous, Caffe Florian in Piazza San Marco, opening in 1720. It is still open for business today. The largest insurance market in the world, Lloyd’s of London, began life as a coffeehouse. It was started in 1688 by Edward Lloyd, who prepared lists of the ships that his customers had insured.

The first literary reference to coffee being drunk in North America is from 1668 and, soon after, coffee houses were established in New York, Philadelphia, Boston and other towns.

Today it is possible to find good coffee in every major city of the world, from London to Sydney to Tokyo; we are drinking more and, more importantly, better coffee.

The importance of coffee to the world economy cannot be overstated. It is one of the most valuable primary products in world trade, in many years second in value only to oil as a source of foreign exchange to producing countries. Its cultivation, processing, trading, transportation and marketing provide employment for hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
So when you drink your cup of coffee today, inhale its aroma, taste its dark and full-bodied flavour, think about its story – but most of all enjoy.

Can you think of a better location to sit back and relax whilst sipping your favourite blend of coffee than at the prestigious Copperleaf Golf Estate? Whether it’s spending time with your family in the open parklands, perfecting your game on the magnificent golf course, enjoying the superb amenities including their mini cricket oval, or simply relaxing at the Copperleaf Café, you will find no finer location to indulge yourself on International Coffee Day!

Fun Facts About Coffee

The most expensive coffee in the world is Indonesia’s Kopi Luwak or civet coffee. It is made from coffee beans that have been eaten, partially digested, and then excreted by a weasel-like animal called the Asian palm civet. These beans sell for more than $600 a pound, or $50 a cup.

Coffee was originally regarded as a wonder drug in Yemen and Arabia and was taken only at the advice of a doctor. Many saw coffee as a brain tonic or as a way to stimulate religious visions.

When the first coffeehouse opened in England in 1652, women were prohibited from entering, other than to serve men.

Although yields vary from harvest to harvest, a single coffee tree usually provides only enough coffee beans in a year to fill a half-kilo (one-pound) bag of ground coffee.

Coffee was banned three times in three different cultures: once in Mecca in the 16th century, once when Charles II in Europe banned the drink in an attempt to quiet an ongoing revolution, and once when Frederick the Great banned coffee in Germany in 1677 because he was concerned people were spending too much money on the drink.

The Boston Tea Party convinced Americans to switch to coffee from tea as an expression of freedom.